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Whitefish Bay — A 40-year-old Milwaukee man is accused of driving into 36 Whitefish Bay parking meters to collect coins and feed his drug habit.
A Whitefish Bay business owner alerted police on Jan. 21 that two parking meters had been destroyed outside of his business on Silver Spring Drive. The next day, at 2:14 p.m., police received a call reporting a man used his Chevrolet Suburban to knock over parking meters near Erik’s Bike Shop.
After receiving the call, a Whitefish Bay police officer blocked the vehicle with his squad car. The suspect, Ingrahm Moutry, attempted to pull a reverse u-turn, causing the vehicle to flip onto its side. Moutry tried to escape, but the officer was able to arrest him.
Moutry later told police he needed the money to feed his addiction to crack cocaine and powder cocaine. He said he got the idea after accidentally knocking over a meter a few months ago. He said he did not want to resort to robbing people.
Moutry admitted to knocking over three or four meters on Jan. 19, and then using the change to buy drugs. He said he hit another meter the next day, and another meter the day after that. When he was caught on Jan. 22, he reflected on what his addiction had caused him to do.
“I need to quit,” he told police. “This is what I have resorted to.”
Each parking meter head is valued at $325, and parking meter stands are valued at $50. All told, Moutry allegedly caused nearly $12,000 in damage. Moutry said he does not know how much money he gathered from the meters, but police estimate there was roughly $5 in each meter for a total of $180.
Whitefish Bay police recovered three meters from Milwaukee police officers, who had found the meters in the parking lot of a car wash at 5630 N. Teutonia Ave. in Milwaukee. Several days later, Milwaukee police dropped off another six parking meters they had found in the parking lot of a Walgreen’s at 4808 N. 37th St. A parking meter was also found in Moutry’s vehicle at the time of his arrest.
Whitefish Bay Police Captain Ron Stefanski said the recovered meters are damaged beyond repair, and the village is looking into the price of purchasing new meters.
Moutry has been charged in Milwaukee County Circuit Court with one count of felony theft and one count of felony bail jumping, as he was out on bail for separate burglary charges.
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